Consumer indebtedness has become an important issue in the financial industry. Regulators and consumer advocacy groups have been pressuring lenders to avoid business decisions that indebt consumers beyond their ability. Some of these consumers have responded to indebtedness pressures by moving revolving balances away from unsecured credit cards to lower payment credit instruments such as home equity lines of credit (HELOC). Lenders perceive this trend as an increased potential risk among such consumers because some consumers who have trouble managing their credit, are moving balances to collateralized loans, freeing up large amounts of open-to-buy on existing credit cards where subsequent card usage increases total outstanding debt.